Part Three, Nothing But Pain
by Paffy
Summary: PART 3/7. How will Harry react when he realises how precious Ginny's life is to him?
1. Your not squeamish are you?

AN/ This is part two of the story "Nothing But Pain" as told from the point of view of Harry. You can read them in either order, but both story (Part one and two) are the sequel to the story "I have Known what love is, which you have to read first!" enjoy…there's a lot more to come!

Disclaimer - I am actually JKR in disguise, hiding out and living the poor life as a student looks around to see if anyone actually believes her Oh well…worth a try!

~ For Mabwenya ~

I was having a nightmare, and I knew it. I was being chased through a deserted graveyard and I was trying with all my might to run away from the voices, but the more I ran, the closer they became. I gave a grunt of pain as I went sprawling to the floor, and looked up just in time to see a tall pale figure laughing down at me mirthlessly. 

'No one to save you this time Harry' said the high, cruel voice as a wand was brandished in front of my face. 

'No' I said, trying to get up, to run away and save myself. 

'There's no hiding from me Harry' came the voice that was startlingly close to my ear. 

I whirled round in fear and was greeted by the wand yet again and an evil smile, before I had time to react he spoke again. 

'Goodbye Harry, it _has_ been a pleasure..._Avada Kadavra'_

I gave a gasp and sat bolt upright. It took me a few minutes to register I was in my dorm and my heart was still thumping uncomfortably in my chest. I took a few steady breaths and listened to the sounds of the dorm. Ron was muttering in his sleep, Neville was snoring and two other sets of even breathing told me that I hadn't woken anyone up. 

I tossed and turned in my bed for a few minutes, unable to get back to sleep. My dreams are always so vivid, and this one was no exception. Finally after a few more failed attempts to calm myself, I got out of bed and threw on an old school robe. I decided that a nice warm fire was exactly what I needed right now as I made my way down the stone staircase to the common room. 

I paused when I realised that I wasn't the only one seeking the solitude of the common room. I could see a hunched figure sitting at my favourite place in front of the fire, apparently muttering to themselves. I crept closer and saw a shock of red hair, knotted on the back of the head and secured with what looked like a muggle pencil. 

A smile tugged at my lips as I realised it was Ginny and I stood watching her curiously for a few minutes, talking crazily to something in her hand. I craned my neck and realised that it was a small teapot and I decided she had indeed lost her sanity. 

"Please, please work this time, I'm begging you" came her pleading voice from a cross the room. 

"Did anyone ever tell you it's not right to talk to household appliances?" I asked her, imagining her embarrassment at being caught talking to pottery, especially by me. 

"No, strangely I missed that part" she told me while groaning with frustration as she examined the teapot, once again. 

I laughed quietly to myself while marvelling at Ginny's new-found humour. Actually, I reprimanded myself, it may not be new found, I just don't know her. For all I know she could have been taking lessons from the twins, you don't live with them for so long without a little rubbing off. However, there seemed something different about her tonight. She didn't seem to be embarrassed or shy and I moved closer, all thoughts about my nightmare disappearing. 

"What is the point anyway?" she muttered. 

"The point of what?" I asked. 

"What is the point in transfiguring a teapot into a turtle? Am I really going to be sitting in my house one day and think, 'Gee, what I really need right now is a turtle, and hey! What do you know, here's a teapot...I know, wouldn't it be cool if I could make a turtle out of said teapot?'" she ranted, waving the willow-patterned teapot around her head quite insanely. 

I gave a snort of laughter as I found myself liking the new Ginny more and more and I continued to laugh as she cussed and cursed the teapot. 

"What am I doing? I'm talking to a teapot, I'm actually trying to bargain and bribe a teapot..." she said faintly, looking dazed and confused at the same time.

"Well, it's when it starts talking back you've got to be worried" I said laughing.

"True...damn teapots...stupid turtles...who wants a turtle anyway, all green...eat lettuce...stupid, stupid me" she started muttering to herself. 

"Hey, are you feeling alright Ginny, you seen a little...preoccupied?" I questioned, becoming slightly worried for her sanity, maybe spending so long in a house that occupied the twins, Percy and lets face in sometime Ron, could make anyone a little crazy. 

She didn't reply, and I moved around to the side of her, starting to become seriously worried. I put my hand on her forehead, to feel her temperature and she gave a huge start and jumped out of her seat as if it was electrified. I cringed as the teapot in her hand fell to the floor and smashed in a scream of protest, and she whirled round looking confusedly from the teapot's pieces to me. 

"Harry! You scared the life out of me!" she gasped, clutching her heart with a pale hand.

I gazed at her slightly confused for a few seconds. Did I scare her by touching her? Or was it me just being here? She didn't seem to have realised I was in the room, despite the fact we were just having a conversation. 

"I've been talking to you for the last five minutes" I said slowly, grinning slightly as I looked at her crumpled robes, tired eyes and hair precariously balanced on top of her head. 

"Oh yes, silly me," she said laughing nervously as she raised her hand to the pile of hair, and tried to release it from the pencils grip. 

"What are you still doing up? It 4 am" I asked her, watching her fighting a loosing battle with the hair, she was succeeding in tangling it up more and more. 

"Well if you haven't guessed by now, I'm having some trouble with turtles and teapots at the moment. I'm in so much trouble if I can't get this down" she moaned looking dejectedly down at the teapot.

I was still watching untangle her hair, standing in the middle of the common room very self-consciously. I felt a pang of guilt when I realised I must of really shocked her and I noticed a slight flush was creeping into her pale cheeks. 

"Come here" I said finally, walking behind her and taking the pencil in one hand. 

I started to pull long pieces of wavy red hair from the knot slowly, inwardly marvelling at the vibrant colour. My back was to the fire and the dancing flames where making her whole head glow a kind of deep red. I was being hypnotised by the colours and I tried to clear my head of strange and foggy thoughts. 

"You should talk to Hermione you know, she got 100% on her transfiguration exams every year, she's a master at the turtle-teapot thing. Mine always seemed to have willow patterned shells, or breathe steam" I said laughing, trying to concentrate on the task in hand.

"At least that's something! I thought mine might be turning faintly green about three hours ago, but it was just my eyes I think" she said shaking her head suddenly. 

"Ouch!" she cried as she managed to pull her hair in my hand.

"Oh sorry, here don't move your head so much" I laughed, placing my hands on her neck to keep her facing forward. 

Ginny's shoulder stiffened slightly, and I continued to pull her hair away, my throat suddenly feeling too tight to speak. What the hell am I doing? I'm standing in the middle of the common room, in the early hours of the morning toying with some girl's hair. Ron would have a field day if he saw this. Not girl, I told myself, just Ron's little sister, it's only Ginny... In fact Ron would probably beat me senseless if he knew I was down here doing this, let alone Fred and George. However, I couldn't stop my stomach from fluttering slightly, I'm just hungry I told myself, just hungry. 

I finally managed to free out her hair, and pulled the pencil out. Ginny turned around and suddenly a pair of chocolate brown eyes was only centimetres in front of my face. I looked into them for a few moments noticing how deep brown they were, before regaining my senses. 

"Your pencil" I said in a strangled voice as I held up the offending item. 

"Er, thanks" she whispered taking the pencil and quickly turning away. 

She started packing away her things while I stood rooted to the spot. What was all that about? I thought as I watched her, noticing the butterflies in my stomach. I must be ill I decided as the contents of Ginny pencil case was scattered across the floor. 

"Damn" she whispered as she dropped to her knees. 

"Here, let me help you" I said, regaining the use of both my legs and vocal chords once again.

I leant across the pick up a pencil that had rolled underneath the chair, when I heard Ginny give a yelp of pain, I straightened up to see a savage piece of pottery had embedded itself in her wrist and hand. She pulled it out and was immediately greeted by a rush of warm blood that spilled across her hands and onto the red Gryffindor carpet. 

"Give it here" I said hurriedly. I pulled her hand towards me and wrapped it tightly in the only thing I could find at the time, which just happened to be my robes. She was wincing as I pressed down hard, cradling her hand above her as I sat on my feet. I desperately tried to remember what I was taught at first aid in my muggle school, but it seemed such a long time ago. I couldn't even remember any magical spells – my mind had gone blank. 

"It'll stop in a sec, then we'll take you down to Madam Pomfrey" I told her, carefully peeping under the rolls of fabric. 

My stomach gave a lurch when I saw that the bleeding hadn't stopped at all, and that her entire pale hand was soaked in deep red blood. There was an evil gash right across the palm of her hand and down the inside on her arm, she must have fallen really heavily on the pottery. 

"Has it stopped yet?" she asked trying to peer across my shoulder, but I tactfully blocked her way. I don't think she would have liked what she would see. 

"No, not yet, it's quite deep as well, your not squeamish are you?" I asked as trying to distract her while I wondered wildly what I was going to do. 

"I lived in a house with Fred and George for 14 years" she answered simply. 

"I'll take that as a no then" I said, trying to smile, what came out felt more like a grimace. 

I could see blood seeping across the bunch of robes I was holding towards it, and spreading steadily across the dark carpet. I was getting more and more worried as I realised that there was a lot of blood covering both me, her and the surrounding area. 

"Everything is going wrong today" she sighed, and I could feel her wiggling her fingers slightly through the cloth. 

"Come on Gin, it's only half four in the morning, how much has gone wrong today?" I said, covering up my worry with an unsteady grin. 

"I mean yesterday and today, oh I don't know. Just everything...I can't do it, I can't do transfiguration, I can't do potions...I'm so useless" she muttered with tears glistening in her eyes.

"Everyone has rough days, and it's no great shame if you can't do potions...Hey don't cry Ginny, it'll be ok, Madame Pomfrey will sort you out" I said desperately as a tear coursed down her cheek. 

I raised one hand and tried to brush the tear away, but realised that instead of getting rid of the tear, I'd managed to leave a long streak of dark red blood across her ghostly white skin. She raised her own hand and tried to brush away whatever she could feel on her cheek. I watched her as her eyes opened wide with horror when she realised what it was. 

"Er sorry, that'd be my fault" I said holding up a hand covered in dark red blood. 

She gave a choked laugh, and adopted a far away look on her face that worried me even more that the amount of blood we were currently lying in. 

"God Ginny, you got water for blood or something?" I asked, wondering with building panic, why it was stopping bleeding yet. 

I absentmindedly tried to brush my hair out my eyes and didn't even notice the trail of blood I left behind. Ginny was leaning back against the couch and her eyes were dropping slightly. She had the dazed, dim look to someone who was about to fall asleep. I didn't need to be a doctor to know that this was bad – very bad. Suddenly she slid off her backrest and landed with a thump against my shinbone, lying awkwardly with her arm beneath her, but she didn't seem to mind. 

"Hey Ginny, now is no time to be falling asleep" I said worriedly, pushing her with my free hand into an upright position. The whole right side of her face was now smeared with blood from where she'd lay on my robes, making her look even more deathly white. Not deathly I told myself, find another word...sickly, thats better. 

"I'm alright" she murmured, "I'm just a little sleepy"

"Oh no you don't" I cautioned as she slid back down into my lap again. 

This time I couldn't get her up, she was a dead weight, her eyes closed peacefully as if she was sound asleep. 

"Ginny?" I shouted, shaking her slightly. 

"Ginny!" I shouted again, feeling panic overtake me. 

She's dying, was all I could think about. Here I was sitting in the middle of the common room in the early hours of the morning doing nothing as Ginny died on me. 

"Ginny, wake up!" I choked out. 

"G'night...Harry..." she murmured before becoming limp. 

I gave a strangled cry and looked desperately around the common room, as if expecting to find some saviour. There was no one there. I laid her out on the floor, and working with fumbling fingers, I hurriedly ripped the hem from around my robe. I tied it around her wrist with shaking hands and I watched her breathing become shallower. I tied it as tight as I could, then got to my feet, torn between fetching Ron for help, or just going straight to the hospital wing. I didn't want to leave Ginny on her own, so I picked her up in my arms and was surprised out how light she actually was. I practically kicked the portrait open, and stumbled through the dark corridors, unaware of the long trail of blood I was leaving behind on the stone floor. 

"Don't you die Ginny, don't you dare die" I muttered as I carried her, praying to God that I hadn't been stupid enough to sit there watching her die. 

I cursed as her bleeding arm was dangling beneath her, causing even more blood to seep out of the makeshift bandage, and I tried to re-arrange her so I could hold it up. Her head was lolling over one arm and I looked down into her pale face. 

"Oh God Ginny, you can't die now" I moaned, skidding towards the door to the infirmary, which was locked. I kneeled down to the floor, placed Ginny down and started hammering on the door, shouting loud enough to wake up half the castle. 

Eventually Madam Pomfrey came to the door, wearing a night gown and an angry frown. It was quickly replaced by a worried expression as she took in me, drenched in blood and Ginny at my feet, already lying in a small puddle of blood 

"Help us" I begged.


	2. You're her little angel

It had been three days since I had brought Ginny into the hospital wing, and she still hadn't woken up. A doctor from St Mungo's had been bought in to see her, and we hadn't been able to see her for the first day. Ron, Fred and George were all huddled around the bed where she lay when I walked in that evening. I got a shock, as I always did when I visited her, when I saw her deathly pale white face, looking even paler when surrounded by her fiery red hair. Everyone was quiet, which was an unusual sight, especially where the twins were concerned. 

I realised with an uncomfortable squirm that the last time this scene was being acted out, it was when everyone thought Ginny was dead, taken into the Chamber of Secrets. Everyone acted like she was already dead now, and I would have believed it if I couldn't see her slowly rising and falling chest. 

My eyes roamed the assortment of very muggle looking medical equipment that surrounded her, including a drip and bag above her head feeding blood into her arm. One side of her pristine white bedclothes was stained red with blood, as was the bandage around her arm. Who'd have thought one little piece of pottery could do so much damage? 

I was staring at her face when I noticed her eyes rapidly moving under her lids, like when your just about to wake up. My heart soared, Ginny was going to wake up and she was going to be ok!

"Hey Harry, back aga-?" started Ron before I shushed him into silence.

"She's going to wake up" I whispered, pointing to Ginny, whose lids were starting to flutter. 

We all held baited breath as we watched her shake her head slightly and opened her eyes that were dim and unfocused. 

"a'my in heaven?" she mumbled sluggishly. 

I gave a watery smile, she was ok. Fred and George looked positively ecstatic and Ron was grinning worriedly. 

"Not unless I'm an angel" Fred said. 

"And I can assure you he's not" George added, leaning over to look in his sisters unfocused eyes. 

"Ginny?" asked Ron in a cracked voice, "Are you ok?" 

"m'ok, tired, want to...sleep" she murmured thickly. I walked forward slightly, so I could get a better view of her, suddenly her eyes became a bit more sharper and in focus.

"arry? m'sorry...got you...all dirty' she mumbled, probably talking about the blood we both got covered in. 

"Should have known you'd be the one to get her to start talking mate" Fred said, laughing half-heartedly which earned raised eyebrows from Ron. 

I merely shrugged and turn my attention back to Ginny, who was looking slightly confused. 

"It's ok Ginny, how do you feel?" I asked nervously, aware of Fred and George's smirks. 

"m'angels...come to take me...away" she murmured. 

I watched her curiously, she seemed to be delirious or something, she kept shaking her head slightly, as if to get rid of something and her speech was slurred and slow. 

"Why's she talking like that?" asked Ron, apparently noticing her state as well, it was accompanied by worried glances from Fred and George. 

We all turned to Madam Pomfrey who had walked over with a small vile of purple potion. She checked over Ginny, pursing her lips slightly before she turned to us with a warm smile 

"It the medicine we've given her, she'll be better once she's had a sleep and worn it off" she said, earning four relieved looks, and everyone turned to Ginny who was murmuring again. 

"I'been good...you'll let me in...right?" 

"If you drink this Ginny, you can go wherever you like" Madam Pomfrey told her, offering her the small vile. 

"Is'my angel...taking me?" she asked, holding up her other arm, trying to grab hold of me, before the potion took hold and she dropped her arms and fell sound asleep. 

They sat in silence for a few moments, unsure whether they'd wake her if they spoke. 

"Aw Harry, you're her little angel" said Fred with a lopsided grin which earned sniggers from George. 

"Yeah Harry, you gonna take her?" added George smiling wickedly. 

For some reason I blushed, and I suddenly wanted to be out of the hospital wing and away from their teasing. I didn't understand, they always teased me about it before and I thought it was funny. 

"Shut up you guys, Ginny's still sick" I muttered, before swinging my bag over my shoulders, "I've got to go to class" 

"What's up with him?" I heard Ron say as I strode out of the hospital wing.

"What is up with me?" I asked myself as I wandered down the empty corridors, forgetting I was late for potions.


	3. It Was An Accident

I was so busy the next few days that I only ever managed to get into the hospital wing late at night when Ginny was asleep, but I didn't mind. I waited around hoping she might wake up, I was still really worried about her, but she never did and Madam Pomfrey kept eagle eyes on me, making sure I never woke her up. 

Everyone told me when she was awake, she was coherent again, and didn't think everyone was an angel any more, which I suppose can only be a good thing. I looked over her sleeping form, noting that finally the drip bag thing that used to hand over her head was gone, the sheets were clean now, and only a small bandage was wrapped around her wrist. She had a bit more colour in her cheeks, and although she looked weary and tired she looked almost healthy. 

I was actually glad she wasn't awake, the truth was I felt incredibly guilty about what happened. I should have taken her to Madam Pomfrey soon, I should have known it was so serious – it not natural to lose that much blood. Why was I so stupid? What took me so long? 

"I'm sorry I didn't help you Ginny" I whispered out loud, although I didn't mean to. 

I watched on silently, although waiting for an answer but Ginny was deep asleep. Eventually I got too tired to be keep my eyes open and I was shooed out of the hospital wing. I trudged slowly up to Gryffindor Tower, and fell into the sofa next to Ron and Hermione. They had both been up most of the previous night with Ginny and the heavy black bags under their eyes and the dim look of sleep deprivation told me that they hadn't managed to catch any sleep today either. 

"How is she?" asked Hermione, looking up from the parchment she was working on. 

"Asleep" I said, sitting back and closing my eyes. 

There was a brief silence, and I could tell Hermione still wasn't working because I couldn't hear the scratch of her quill, I squinted at them and noticed they were having a silent conversation. Hermione gave him a small nod and Ron turned to me. 

"Harry, I was wondering, if you knew something, but you were promised to keep it a secret, but it's really important right, would you tell us?" asked Ron hesitantly. 

I looked at Ron blankly, then Hermione who was looking down at her parchment, but still paying just as much attention. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" I finally asked when Ron and Hermione seemed to not want to offer up any more information. 

Ron however, looked extremely uncomfortable, and tried appealing to Hermione for help. I continued to cast them confused looks completely in the dark about what they were talking about. 

"Harry, we're...we're talking about Ginny, about what happened to her" said Hermione quietly, casting anxious looks over to Ron. 

"What about it?" I asked after an extremely long silence. 

"We, er...we..." started Ron, flailing his arms around trying to explain before he dropped them in silence.

"We don't think it was an accident" whispered Hermione, holding her head up high defiantly. 

My mouth dropped open in shock and I stared at Hermione and Ron, who were both avoiding my gaze. I opened my mouth wordlessly, trying to say something. I took a deep breath and started again. 

"You think I did it to her?" I whispered angrily. 

"No! Not you!" exclaimed Hermione, face flushing a brilliant shade of red, "You misunderstand us..." 

I glared angrily at them, what exactly were they trying to say? If it's not me they think did it, who else would it be? It was only me and...I took a shuddering breath and grimaced at them. 

"You think she did it? To herself?" I said quietly, narrowing my eyes at the two, "How the hell could you say that?"

"Listen, you have to see it from our point of you. Ginny's lying in the hospital wing with a slit wrist, and unconscious from loss of blood – what are we supposed to think?" reasoned Hermione desperately. 

"That she had an accident Hermione!" I said incredulously. 

"If it was an accident, and you were right there, then how come she lost so much blood, she could have been in the hospital wing in five minutes and healed!" she shouted at me. 

"I don't know! I didn't know what to do, ok? I didn't realise it was that bad!" I shouted back, amazed I was having this argument, with Hermione of all people.

"You see, I think," stated Hermione pacing in front of me, "That you came down that night, and found her here, but you don't want to tell us" 

I stared back wordlessly, firstly because I have having a rather loud row with Hermione in the middle of the common room – our first one ever I think, and secondly because I just couldn't believe Hermione was saying these things about Ginny. 

"I can't believe your saying this! This is Ginny were talking about! Ron do you think Ginny would really try and kill herself?" I asked a motionless Ron, who was gazing into the distance.

"Harry, you can tell us you know" pleaded Hermione. 

"Tell you what? There's nothing to tell you! She just slipped and cut herself" I shouted disbelievingly. 

"And that's all?" asked Ron finally, looking at me seriously. 

"God Ron! You shouldn't need telling, you should know her well enough to know she wouldn't do something like that" I told him, glaring at Ron who rose quickly to his feet. 

"Harry," Ron hissed close to my face, taking me by surprise, "Don't you lecture me about my sister! You don't know her at all, you hardly ever speak to her! I've lived with her for 14 years! So don't you go telling me what Ginny would and wouldn't do" 

It would have been a strange sight for anyone that would have seen us then. Three friends standing in a triangle, all glaring at each other in a battle of wills. I stared at Ron and then Hermione, still completely thrown off by the whole unexpected argument. I was angry with Hermione for thinking Ginny wanted to kill herself, I was angry with Ron for shouting all that stuff at me, and I was angry with the both of them for their narrow mindedness. 

"Fine, you can believe whatever you want, but I know what happened. And I may not have hung around with Ginny as much as you Hermione, or you Ron, but evidently I know her better than you think I do, since I'm the only one who seems to think this whole conversation is a load of rubbish" I stormed, before turning away and heading to my dorm. 

I pulled the curtains around my bed viciously and clambered under the covers. I lay awake for some time, replaying the row back through my head, I was awake until the early hours of the morning, but never heard Ron come into the dorm.


	4. I think you've got a soft spot for Ginny

I woke up the next morning, and it took me a few seconds for last night's argument to surface in my memory, I groaned and turned over in my bed. Finally I peeled myself out of bed and threw on my school clothes and got my bag ready for the day ahead. Ron had either not come to bed at all that night, or had already left as his bed was empty and I made my way down to the common room, unsure of what to say to either of them when I did see them. 

I didn't have long to think about it because when I arrived in the common room, Ron and Hermione were standing there waiting for me. I breathed in a deep sigh, and saw that the bags that had previously been under their eyes had now turned into a full set of luggage. 

"Good morning Harry" said Hermione quietly. 

"Morning" 

"Listen Harry, about last night...I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to go off on one at you" she said shuffling nervously. 

"Yeah mate, I had no right to say all that stuff to you, I haven't got any excuse" muttered Ron, avoiding my eyes. 

I watched them for a few moments, unsure of what to say, but in the end Ron was right wasn't he? I didn't know Ginny, and although I was 100% right on what happened the other night, I didn't have any right to tell Ron he didn't know his know own sister. 

"Let's just forget it ok? We're all tired and worried and stressed. We all just need a break. When Ginny's back and safe then we can all enjoy a good night's sleep ok?" I said, noticing the looks of relief on both of their faces. 

"Yeah sleep, my old friend. Where'd he go anyway?" Ron said attempting to lighten the heavy mood as we made our way to breakfast. 

However, the atmosphere was still strained, and we sunk into an unusual silence as we eat our breakfast, and hurried to our classes late. Unfortunately I had to sit through double potions with the Slytherin's, then transfiguration followed by Care of Magical Creatures and I barely had time to finish my dinner before Quidditch practice. I was exhausted by nightfall, and went to bed as soon as I got into the Tower. 

It was only as I was on the edge of consciousness that I realised that I hadn't been to see Ginny today. Madam Pomfrey had told me at lunch that she was considering letting Ginny come back to classes tomorrow, and I looked forward to some shade of normalcy returning to Gryffindor Tower. It was only two weeks into the term and already I was shattered. 

I wondered once again if Ginny would be angry with me for not helping her the other night and I gratefully sank into a welcomed rest with that thought occupying head. I was awoken what seemed like seconds later by a huge crash and some muffled curses. I glanced at my watch and saw it was nearly 2am and I looked around to see what the noise was. 

"You alright?" I asked the darkness. 

"Yeah fine, just stubbed my damn toe on this bloody trunk" came Seamus's Irish lilt form across the other side of the room. 

"Oh right" I laughed "What were you doing up at 2am?" 

"Just talking to Lavender, honestly Harry you've missed a bit of a party down there" whispered Seamus as he clambered into his own bed. 

"Why? What's the party in aid of?" I asked sleepily. 

"Ginny Weasley's welcome back party of course! I think the twins needed to let off a little pent up energy" he whispered chuckling to himself. 

"Ginny's back?" I asked loudly sitting up in my bed, "Why didn't you come and get me?" 

"Hey cool it Harry, the party finished hours ago, everyone's already in bed. Anyway you were fast asleep" said Seamus. 

"Oh" was all I could say to that as I lay back down, wondering why I hadn't been told she was coming out this evening, but glad nonetheless that she was ok. 

"Honestly Harry, I think you've got a soft spot for Ginny" laughed Seamus. 

My stomach fluttered slightly, and I peered through the gloom at Ron's bed. He was asleep – or doing a very good impression of it, and I gave a small laugh. 

"Don't be stupid Seamus, she's Ron's sister" 

"Aye, that she is, doesn't mean she isn't also a very beautiful girl, and smart. She's got a great sense of humour as well. In fact I don't know why I'm bothering with Lavender..." he trailed off happily. 

There was a long silence, and it didn't seem like Seamus had anything else to add to his list and eventually his even breathing filled the already full rooms. I sat wide-awake, staring at the ceiling on my bed and Seamus's words ran through my head. Very beautiful girl, smart, great sense of humour. All things I'd never seen in Ginny until this year – I wonder why? Why has she been so invisible until now? What's changed? I couldn't get the thoughts out of my head and I got up and paced around quietly for a few seconds, before heading out of the dorm and down into the common room. 

It must have been some party I thought to myself as I picked my way through mounds of butterbeer bottles, piles of cakes and what looked suspiciously like more canary creams. I started to absentmindedly stacking the butterbeer bottles on the table, all the time my eyes wandering up to the girls dormitory stairs unconsciously. 

Go on up there, she wouldn't mind said a little voice in my head, which I instantly dismissed. You should go and see if she's ok at least, you don't have to wake her up – just to make sure. Just to make sure, I told myself as I my feet did the walking while my brain protested. I found myself creeping quietly up the dorm stairs, and finally pausing outside the room with the plaque reading 'Girls Dormitory – Fourth Years'. I walked in and hesitated when I saw five beds, all identical in the room.

"Ginny?" I whispered uncertainly, hoping maybe she was awake, but suddenly feeling fearful in case she wasn't but someone else was. 

"Harry?" a voice whispered, as a curtain was pulled aside on the bed nearest to the door, "What do you want?" 

I stood there for a few moments, trying to decide what I actually was doing. She was supposed to be asleep, I was just checking up on her. I realised that she might have been waiting for an answer. 

"I, er, came to see how you were" I whispered back stupidly. 

"Oh" she said, as I crept over to her bedside and knelt down. 

What are you doing Harry? I asked myself angrily. Your in the girls dorm in the middle of the night, for absolutely no reason – your acting like a fool. But this was the first time I'd seen her conscious in a week of worry, so I forgot all about my stupid behaviour. 

"So are you alright?" I asked finally, trying to make out her from the mass of blankets on the bed. 

"I'm fine now, all stitched up and magically healed" she said laughing nervously. 

I folded my arms on top of the covers and placed my chin on my hands, watching her in the darkness. 

"Er, Harry? Are you ok?" she asked eventually, startling me out of my daydream. 

"I fine, I just wanted to tell you..." I began awkwardly, sighing in frustration, "...I just want to tell you that I'm sorry" 

"What for?" Ginny said blankly.

"For lots of things. I'm sorry for not helping you the other night, for not getting you to the Hospital Wing sooner, I'm sorry...for...for" I struggled before Ginny spoke up.

"What are you talking about? You saved my life – again. If you hadn't been there I would have bled to death, right there on the carpet" said Ginny, peering at me through the darkness. 

"I was the reason you smashed that damn pot in the first place" 

"Yes but I was the reason I actually put my hand on that piece" 

"Yeah, but I was the..." I started before Ginny shushed me up. 

"It's nobodies fault – just an accident – a stupid accident" she said. 

I nodded dully, and sank my chin onto my hand again, thinking about the million what ifs and how it all could have been different. How if maybe if I had gone to get Ron, she could have died right there on the floor before we got back, or if I'd taken her sooner she could have been healed within a few second by the Matron. What if she had died? That would just be one more person to chalk up on the list, my parents, Cedric, Ginny. I wouldn't be here now talking to her, and Ron and everyone would blame me because I didn't do anything – I couldn't help. 

"Hey, I can hear you Harry Potter. I can hear those 'what ifs' running around inside your head at the moment, just forget them ok? Everything turned out ok in the end" said Ginny with amazing perceptiveness. 

I grinned guiltily, and she gave a knowing smile. 

"Top in my class at divination you know" she said with an exaggerated wink and a tap on her nose, again acting in a very un-Ginnyish style. 

"Maybe you could give me some tips" I said laughing slightly. 

"Well here's a tip, beware of household appliances...especially if they're willow-patterned" she said in an uncanny impression of Professor Trelawney. 

I gave a snort of laughter, and realised slightly too late that it was a bit loud. 

"Who's there?" came a sleepy voice from the adjacent bed. 

I gave Ginny a look of horror, probably identical to the one on her face and she pressed her fingers to her lips. 

"Sshh" 

"Ginny is that you?" came another voice, the whole dorm seemed to be waking up. 

"Er yeah, it's only me, sorry if I woke you guys up" she said nervously, still staring at me in silent horror. 

"Your back then?" said a high pitched voice. 

Both our eyes opened wide when we heard the curtain being drawn back from numerous beds, and it was only a matter of time before the light was switched on. There was no way I could be caught in the fourth year's dorm in the middle of the morning, and I looked around desperately for somewhere to hide. 

"Get in!" hissed Ginny through gritted teeth, holding open one of the curtains surrounding her bed. 

Gratefully I jumped onto the top of the bedspread, and backed towards the foot of the bed, whilst Ginny hurriedly pulled all the curtains shut. Just then the light was flicked on, and I saw shadows moving towards Ginny's bed. Ginny swung her legs over the side of the bed and peeked through the curtains before hurriedly looking over to me. 

'Don't move' she mouthed at me, grinning slightly at the look on my face. 

Girls crowded around Ginny, who tried her best to hide the inside of her bed with the curtains. I felt a smile tug at my lips at I thought about the situation I was in, which seemed more like something the twins would do than me, but my smile dropped when I thought of what might happen if I was caught. 

"When did you get back from the Hospital Wing?" asked one voice. 

"This evening, you must have been in bed when I got back" said Ginny nervously. 

"So Ginny tell me, what really happened to you?" asked another. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, I heard that it wasn't an accident at all, I heard that you tried to kill yourself" proclaimed the girl in a sneering, Malfoy kind of voice. 

I quietened my breathing and listened intently to what was going on in confusion. I didn't like the sound of the voices around me at all but Ginny seemed to be lost for words. 

"Of...course not...d-don't be silly" she finally stammered out. 

"Oh, Pity" said one followed by shrill giggles from the rest of the room. 

I clenched my fists in anger and had to force myself to not move, not say anything. It would be much worse if I was found, than it was now, but my heart went out to Ginny. 

"I bet I know why she did it" said another loudly after the giggles died down. 

"I didn't do anything" Ginny whispered but was ignored by the others. 

"I bet she finally realised that she was never going to be good enough for the lovely Harry Potter, so she decided, What's the point?" said the girl simply, earning herself titters from the others. 

"Shut up" whispered Ginny tearfully. 

"I don't blame you though Ginny, I mean what have you got to live for? Harry doesn't like you – he doesn't even notice you. I bet he thinks you're really pathetic you know...sweet, little Ginny, always following him around, always drooling at his feet. Worshipping the ground he walks on" laughed the girl spitefully. 

I bit my tongue, trying desperately not to jump out of the curtains right that second and tell them that Ginny would be worth ten million of them any day of the week. My anger was nearly matched by Ginny's heartache and I heard her give a small sob. These girls, who I'd always thought were Ginny's friends were saying the most hurtful, evil things possible to her, just because they could and just because they would get away with it.

"Aw Ginny, don't cry...We're just telling you like it is honey – This is the real life sweetie, and you've got to get use to rejection" said one girl in a syrupy voice. 

No wonder Ginny had such a hard time looking at me the past few years, if this was all she got from the people around her. I wondered secretly how Ginny had any scrap of confidence. Did she think she wasn't good enough? Did she think her life wasn't worth living? I realised with a guilty squirm just how badly I'd treated her the past few years I'd known her. I'd hardly ever spoken to her, ignored her and treated her like a piece of the scenery. I felt impossibly guilty, and all I wanted to do was make things better, but I didn't know how. 

I watched as she ripped the curtains closed and sat in front of me, with silent tears coursing down her cheeks, totally unaware of my presence. It nearly broke my heart, watching her fall forward and bury herself in the deep folds of her blanket. I had caused her nothing but pain, from the first moment I met her. I crawled forward silently and reached down to Ginny, smoothing her fiery hair down. I don't know why I did it, but I was never any good in these situations – I never had much experience with heartbroken females. 

Forgot about trying to think about what to do, and let instincts take over. I pulled her up so that I could see her tear streaked face, and pulled her into a hug. She laid her chin on my shoulder and cried her heart out, until there was nothing left. It was torture for me, because all I wanted to do was tell her it would be all right, and I couldn't for fear of being caught. 

Eventually she stopped crying, but I continued to hold her and rock her slightly, lost in the smell of her hair and the motion. I became aware eventually that she had started to rely on me to hold her up as she started to fall asleep, and I suddenly realised what time it must be. 

"Nobody should ever be told things like that" I whispered in her ear as I laid her down onto her pillows. 

I crawled off the bed and resumed my previous position, kneeling at her bedside, gazing into her chocolate brown eyes you feel like you can get lost in. And I something inside me clicked, and I just knew that she was the most wonderful person in the entire world. 

"You're the most beautiful, smartest, funniest person I know" I whispered again. 

She gave me a small smile, with a look of relief, as if something she'd been waiting for her whole life had just happened. 

"I could say the same thing about you" she said quietly. I grinned down at her, planted a tiny kiss on her forehead and crept out of the room. 

~

AN./ This is the end of this story, check out part I, before you go on to read the third installment, "True Colours" the sequel to this one…Paffy


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